


Come Together

by StDismas



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Healing, Non-Supernatural, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-05-31 05:08:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19419106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StDismas/pseuds/StDismas
Summary: Laura Hollis begins her senior year in a totally new high school, where she knows nobody, barely even herself. The first person she really gets close to is the one person everybody has warned her about, the school’s soon-to-be international superstar athlete: Carmilla. Can they make it through their senior year without falling victim to circumstance, or will the world have it’s way once more?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: You Don’t Know Me

Laura Hollis stared at the huge building in front of her. She reread the sign dozens of times. ‘Silas Metropolitan Highschool’ it read, in big, bold, blue lettering. She then looked down in the paper in her hand: her class schedule. She didn’t have that many classes. There were 8 periods a day, 60 minutes a piece. Some classes, however, could be made into double periods, so more credits could be earned. Her schedule seemed easy, on paper at least. First and second period, she had English. Third and Fourth period, she had Chemistry. Fifth period was her lunch block, and sixth she had Entrepreneurship. Seventh block she had investigative journalism, and eighth she had a study hall. Easy. On Paper.

“You should probably head inside, you’ve got about two minutes until the bell rings.” said a tall girl passing Laura, who looked up to realize the crowd of students that had been steadily passing her had all made their way inside.

Laura quickly caught up with the girl. “I don’t know where to go. It’s my first day.”

“It’s everybody’s first day. That’s what the first day of school is for. Give me your schedule.” The girl said, Laura nearly struggling to keep up with her long strides.

Laura watched the girl scan her schedule. “We’re going to the same place. English Lit 12? Just follow me. You’re a senior?”

“Yeah. I just transferred here.” Laura said.

“Wow. Rough year to be new. I’m Danny, by the way.” Danny said, handing Laura her schedule back.

“I’m Laura. Thank you for your help.” Laura said, smiling.

“The room is just up here.” Danny said, pointing. And sure enough, they walked into a large classroom, about half full of students. Danny led Laura to a pair of open desks on the other side of the room, in the second row. They sat down, and the pair in front of them turned around.

“Hey Danny. Welcome back.” Said one, with really short, strawberry blonde hair. “Hey new girl.”

“Uh, hey.” Laura said, halfheartedly. “I’m Laura.”

“Legally my name is Susan LaFontaine. Please do not ever call me Susan. Just...stick to my last name.” They said, letting out a nervous chuckle. “And uh, this is Lola Perry, also goes by her last name.” They said, pointing to the girl next to them, who had long curly red hair.

“Hello. That’s me. I’m Perry.”

“Hi Perry. It’s nice to meet you both.” Laura said, just as the bell rang. The near-elder english teacher, who Laura would come to know as Mr. Mortimer, looked around his class. Eventually laying his eyes on Danny, he smiled.

“Good to have you back, Miss Lawrence.” He said.

“You too, Mort.”

“Mort?” LaF whispered, earning a quiet laugh from Laura and Perry.

Over the next two hours, Laura hoped the rest of her classes weren’t going to be like this. Danny spent the entire class kissing Mr. Mortimer’s ass, combined with Perry’s incessant foot tapping, nearly blew Laura’s head off. Mortimer’s boring stories almost put her to sleep, but the quiet comedy LaF produced was enough to get her through. After the bell rang, Laura worriedly stood up, staring at her schedule.

“Where to next?” Danny asked, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

“Chemistry.” Laura replied, searching for a room number or a teacher’s name.

“Double period with Addison or single with Davis?” LaF asked.

“Double. Addison. L15.” She replied, finally finding the line.

“Come with me. That’s where I’m off to next.” LaF said, happily waving a hand towards themself. Laura nodded as LaF led the way.

A few seconds into their trek, Laura began looking around in amazement. “I can’t get over how big this place is...how modern and high tech it is-” She was bumped into by multiple students. “...how many goddamn people there are.”

LaF grabbed her arm and led her down a new hallway. Laura looked into every classroom that they walked past.

“Why are they all labs?” She asked, highly confused.

“What do you think the ‘L’ in ‘L15’ stands for? This is the science hallway.” LaF replied, again grabbed her arm and pulling her into a classroom. On the large screen in the front, there was a seating chart.

Laura stared at it in awe, seemingly unaware of the fact that LaF had dragged her to her assigned seat at a lab table in the back row, then walked to their own, all the way across the room.

“At Westbrook there weren’t even enough students to warrant a seating chart...” Laura mumbled to herself.

“Westbrook? To here? Really? That’s a seriously unfortunate move.” Laura turned to find the source of the deep, flat voice. Her eyes quickly fell still on the girl sitting at the table with her. The girl’s outfit, much like her voice, was monotonous. She was dressed in leather pants and a black t-shirt, half tucked into said pants, and covered by a grey vest with way too many zippers. “Y’know, if you study your classwork the way you’re studying me right now, you’re make valedictorian your senior year.”

Laura’s head snapped up and she blushed, embarrassed about being caught checking her out this. “This is my senior year.”

The girl smirked. “Rough year to start here.”

“So I’ve been told. Who are you?” Laura asked, again eyeing the girl.

“Carmilla. I’m your new lab partner, sweetheart.”

“It’s nice to meet you...Carmilla. I’m Laura Hollis.” Just as the bell rang, Laura half-smiled at the name Carmilla called her.

“Wow, your name even SOUNDS like you attended Westbrook. How did this magical transfer happen, anyways? I mean, going from one of the smallest private schools in Philadelphia to literally the second largest public high school in all of America? That’s a tragedy even Shakespeare couldn’t write.” Carmilla looked Laura up and down. The blonde smirked in response, happy with the seemingly mutual interest.

Laura opened her mouth to respond, Ms. Addison began handing syllabus sheets. When she got to Carmilla and Laura’s table, she stopped.

“Carmilla Karnstein, back again. Let’s do better in chemistry than we did in biology, okay?” Ms. Addison laughed. “Are you ready for the season?”

“Being that our first game was two days ago, yes. I was ready. Game schedule started early, again.” Carmilla replied, skimming the sheet in front of her.

“Oh really? How’d it go?”

“We won. 2-0. Nothing new.”

“And the 2?”

“Both mine.”

“Nothing new.” Ms. Addison mocked.

Laura sat silently, confused, watching the exchange.

“Any scouts?”

“There’s been scouts since my freshman year. The same colleges, the same national team scouts, but I’m starting to notice new ones. They look, dare I say, international.” Carmilla laughed dryly.

“Whatever you do and wherever you go, Carmilla, you’ll do wonders. Don’t forget where you came from.” Ms. Addison happily walked away.

Carmilla noticed Laura staring. “Ah. I forgot. You’re new. The one person who doesn’t know who I am. It was nice while it lasted.”

“So I’m getting that, A, you aren’t good at biology, and B, you’re some sort of superstar athlete? I could’ve guessed the first one, but the second? Never.” Laura replied, in an almost excited tone.

“Soccer. I’m really good at soccer. To the point that I’m in the US Women’s National Team pool. Basically means that at any point, I can be put on the roster. I enjoy the traveling. I tend to...not...enjoy the soccer.”

“Well I’m sorry that-“ Laura began, but was quickly interrupted by Carmilla.

“You’re Canadian?”

“How did you-“

“The accent. I’m Canadian too. By birth, anyways. Now I have dual citizenship and if any one asks, I’m American.” Carmilla replied, her voice a mix of both excitement and personal disappointment.

“Wow. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any weirder.”

“Hey, you have some weird stuff going on too that we haven’t talked about.”

“You tell me your story first, and I’ll tell you mine.” Laura replied, smirking and turning her body away.

“What makes you think I’d tell you anything? I don’t even know you.”

“And I don’t know you either.” Laura replied, almost shocked at Carmilla’s quick turn to harshness.

“Nobody does. Maybe that’s a good thing.” Carmilla said, turning away.

“Why is that a good thing? Isolation isn’t healthy.”

“Cupcake. Let’s be honest here. Do I look like somebody you’d find yourself getting to know?”

Laura looked down and shook her head.

“That’s a damn shame. You looked appealing to me.” Carmilla smirked and returned to reading her syllabus.

* * *

As the day moved on, Carmilla became a bit regretful of her first interaction with the new girl. After all, Laura was new, brand new. She didn’t even know who Carmilla was. This could’ve been her chance to finally have somebody again. As much as she didn’t want it, she knew she needed it.

When eighth period rolled around, Carmilla strolled to the back hallway of the school and entered the JP Armitage Memorial Library. She walked up the stairs in the middle of the library and onto the second floor, and immediately stopped in her tracks. There, sitting at table in the corner of the room, by two large windows, was Laura, calming reading a book. She couldn’t help but notice that the girl’s demeanor looked a bit sad.

Uneasily, Carmilla slowly approached the girl. She sat down at the table next to her without saying a word. Carmilla began to read a random book she had grabbed off the shelves. She pondered her next move, but surprisingly, it was Laura who made one first.

“You know, I was in the back hallway and I saw the record boards for sports and stuff and...you were not lying about being good at soccer. And you did all that before your senior year. I’m impressed. Sucks that you don’t enjoy it.” Laura said, trying to be as snarky as possible towards the end. However, she could feel herself holding back, but she didn’t know why. “A tragedy even Shakespeare couldn’t write.”

Carmilla was stabbed her own words. “You don’t know me.” She replied quickly, with nothing else to say, never once looking up from her book.

“You keep saying that.” Both women were at a stand-still. Nobody knew what to say, or how to say it.

Carmilla picked up her bag to leave, to go anywhere but here. She heard Laura scoff at the action, and instead turned around and sad across from the blonde girl.

“Look. I don’t make friends. I don’t do relationships. But, we got off on the wrong foot. And we’re about to spend two hours together, everyday, for the next 180 days. We need to be on the same page. Let me take you out tonight. We can start over.” Carmilla shrugged as she spoke.

“Why should I? You’re right, I don’t know you. You don’t know me either. People who don’t know each other don’t go out.” Laura said.

Carmilla almost seemed sad that Laura had rejected her. Laura watched the confidence seem to slip from her face. “Tell me. Let me know you. Give me anything. Books take a long time to read, you just give me the summary. I’ll give you my summary too. And if you do, I’ll go out with you tonight.” Laura said, gently closing her book, and smirking at her own bravery.

Carmilla scoffed. “So naive...you surprised me Laura. Deal.”

Laura nearly smiled at her accomplishment.

“Before we start, before we say anything. I just want to make one thing clear.” Carmilla’s voice was nearly threatening. “I take privacy VERY seriously. I don’t know if I’ve ever told someone most of what I plan to tell you. I don’t even know WHY I’m telling you. I don’t even know YOU. But I plan on knowing you after this. I’m not telling anybody what you tell me, I expect the same from you. And I want complete and total honesty. There’s no sense in hiding secrets from strangers. Got it?” Her voice had become harsh.

Laura gulped. “Loud and clear. Tell me.”

“I’m from Toronto. I lived there until I was ten. Just me, my mother, and my half brother Will.”

“And your father?”

“He had the brains to leave my mother when he could. She got pregnant, he bailed. Will and I have different fathers. Both relationships met the same outcome. Anyways, I never had a good relationship with my mother. Soccer became my outlet. It was easy to get away from her there. She always had heels on. If she tried to follow me onto the field, she just sunk in.” Carmilla laughed at the thought. “I used to imagine her head was the ball. Hell, sometimes I still do. All that practice made me really good. And she noticed. And just like the rest of my life, she had expectations, and she completely took over. Soccer wasn’t big in Canada, and at the time, the US Women’s National Team was successful as hell and they were taking the World Cup by storm. She knew my ceiling would be higher in America. She moved the three of us here to Philadelphia. She knew a few Senators via business contacts, so we got citizenship pretty fast. She put me on a highly dangerous diet, put me on a highly dangerous workout routine, made me stay an hour later after every practice, every game. She made Will enforce it. If I tried to leave, he’d physically pick me up and put me on the field. He knew I wouldn’t fight back, he knew I was too afraid of the punishment. When I made the National Under-18 Team, she still told me it wasn’t enough. Nothing was ever enough. I turned 18 back in June, and the day I did, I filed for emancipation and a restraining order. I got both. She took Will back to Canada. I haven’t seen them since.”

Laura stared at her, nearly in disbelief. She leaned forward, into the table. “Why do you do it then? Keep playing, I mean.”

“Well, it’s the one thing I know. I read books and I play soccer. Those are my things. I play in spite of her. I want to reach the highest stage, I want her to be watching when I’m on top of the world. I want her to feel the pain she put me through for 18 years.”

Laura nodded. “Maybe you’d enjoy soccer if you put good memories into it. I’ve seen your list of accomplishments. I mean, yeah, it’s good to have that driving force in the back of your mind, but maybe not so relevant...”

“I know it’s not healthy. I’m trying to grow out of it, as much as I hate to admit it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right. Soccer is so full of bad memories for me. The countless hours of training. The countless hours of ‘punishment’ if I didn’t live up to expectations. But I’m trying to replace it with those good ones. We won the state championship the last two years. I try to think of that when I play. People who don’t know me, thinking they do, thinking the only mistakes I make are on the field, cheering my name, rooting me on. It’s entertaining sometimes. I think of that too.”

“Wow.” Laura said quietly. “That’s...a lot. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t need your sympathy.”

“Where do you live? Since your mother isn’t around and all...”

“I make a very small wage from being in the USWNT pool. I use that to pay for a shitty apartment on the edge of the city. Okay. That’s my summary. Tell me yours.”

“Okay then. Well, I’m from Toronto, too. I lived there with my dad. My mom passed away when I was 3. My dad was always on business meetings in America, so he had to start taking me with him after she was gone. We would stay in the states for months on end, so when I was ten, we applied for citizenship and got it before I was 12. When I was 15, those meetings pid off and my dad’s company expanded. By a lot. They wanted to place two main offices in America, one on the East, one on the West. Philly was right in between Washington DC and New York City, so they decided this is where they were going to put their East Coast HQ. They rented a building outside of the city, in the meantime they were trying to buy a full building actually in the city. It was decided that my dad was going to relocate here, and he was promoted to President of the East Coast branch. So, basically fourth in control of the company. We bought a house near the rented office. I had been taking online classes up until that point. I told him I needed real schooling. He’s overprotective and Westbrook Academy was literally down the road, so the idea of me being in a small school environment so close to home was a great idea to him.”

“What’s the company he works for?”

“Ever heard of Blake & Porter Security? Porter himself was my dad’s godfather.”

“Wow. That’s like...national security stuff. No wonder your dad is overprotective. How’d you end up at Silas though?”

“Well, back in May B&PS bought a 20 floor tower in the city to officially relocate to. It was in South Philly, we lived above even North Philly, and the traffic was always so bad that we needed to move closer to the building. My dad used his promotion bonus to buy this huge house in this gated community just outside of the city. It’s about a 20 minute commute to his office, and a 10 minute commute to Silas for me. Naturally, I wasn’t making the hour long trip to Westbrook everyday. Besides, I needed a taste of the real world. And I was tired of the uniforms. God, I hated those uniforms.”

Carmilla imagined Laura in some sort of schoolgirl uniform and nearly lost her mind. Quickly, she shook her head of the thought. “I don’t know why I expected some sob story. Congrats on having it good.”

All Laura could do was nod.

“What, you’re not going to tell me to look at the bright side? That totally seems to be your type.”

“My type?” Laura tried to act offended, but Carmilla’s smirk called her bluff. “Okay. I was going to. But it just felt wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“Like it’s not my place. I don’t know you, remember.”

“What was the point of this then? You said it yourself, you wanted to know me. Have you not been listening to me? Cupcake, with what I just told you, you know me more than everybody else on campus.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Naive, provincial girl...I should know better.”

Laura looked down sadly. Something inside Carmilla seemed to crack. She didn’t know what, but she didn’t like it. But she acted on it. “Look, I’m sorry. I expected some sob story from you and thought that meant you’d be able to relate to me. And here we are, on two different ice caps.”

“I can still try.” Laura said. “To relate, I mean. Like I said, these were just the summaries. Maybe over time, as we read more of the stories...we can relate.”

Carmilla reached down into her bag, frantically searching for something. She pulled out a pad of sticky notes and a pen. She wrote something down and tore it off, handing it to the girl across from her.

“If your big fancy house ever gets lonely, call me.”

Laura silently looked at the paper. It was Carmilla’s phone number. “It does.”

“What?”

“The house. It gets lonely. A lot. My dad being on business trips constantly? That never changed. He hasn’t been home in two weeks. It’d be nice to not eat alone for once.”Laura said, quietly.

“Well, we had that deal remember. I told you my story, you come out with me tonight. We’ll grab dinner. Place of your choosing. I have soccer practice until 4. Send me your address in the meantime, I’ll pick you up sometime after 5.” Carmilla narrowed her eyes and looked into Laura’s, looking for any hint of...well, anything. Typically, Carmilla was great at reading people. Reading, that was one of her two things. But Laura, she seemed to be in a whole different language.

“Okay.” Laura said. She half-smiled at Carmilla, who seemed wide-eyed at her response.

“Really? I thought you would’ve left...I mean uh, yeah, cool...great...let me know where you want to go.”

As if on cue, the last bell rang. Carmilla stood up with her bag and looked at Laura, who waved shyly at her. She turned and walked away. Laura watched her leave, before quietly placing her head into her hands.


	2. Eggs

Chapter 2: Eggs

Laura pulled into her garage at 2:15. She went inside and set her bag down on the kitchen island, the thud echoing throughout the open layout of the first floor. Albeit quiet, the sound was still too loud for her. She missed her dad dearly. She reached into her pocket for her phone, and attached to it was Carmilla’s note. She very easily became distracted, and texted the number.

Laura (2:16): Is this Carmilla??

Carmilla (2:16): Yeah. Send me your address.

Laura (2:17): 18 Cosgrove Drive. Tell the security guy at the gate you’re here to see Sherman and Laura Hollis. He shouldn’t give you a problem.

Laura never got a response after that. Carmilla had read it, though. ‘Of course she’s that type.’ Laura thought. Carmilla had been on her mind for a while now. Something was just...weird. Laura went back into her texts and sorted through the several new contacts she had gained today, quickly adding a few of them into a group. It included LaFontaine, Perry, Danny, Mel (a girl in her Entrepreneurship and Journalism classes, not a fan of Danny), and Kirsch (Danny’s puppy-like best friend, who also happened to be a star football player).

Laura (2:19): Hey guys. I need you guys to tell me what you know about Carmilla Karnstein.

Danny (2:19): She’s weird and she plays soccer, that’s all you need to know

Mel (2:20): You’re so helpful. So incredibly helpful. Anyways, she’s quiet, seems introverted, but I’ve seen her at a few parties. Nothing too wild though.

Kirsch (2:20): she’s pretttttty hot. looks like she should be in a band

Perry (2:21): I had biology with her sophomore year. She never really paid attention. Her projects were always messy and all over the place. It made me nervous.

Mel (2:21): Calm down, beefcake. I don’t think she swings your way. Remember freshman year, that girl Elle?

Kirsch (2:22): isn’t Elle dead though? i thought she got killed in that train crash between freshman and sophomore year

Danny (2:23): She did. Doesn’t mean that just because Karnstein’s girlfriend died, her sexuality did too

Kirsch (2:23): i don’t get it

Perry (2:24): Kirsch please stop. You have no chance. Besides, that’s a traumatic event that we really shouldn’t be talking about.

LaFontaine (2:24): I’ve had several classes with Carmilla. At least one every year. I’d blame her introverted-ness on Elle’s death but she was like that before. Even after sophomore year started, I couldn’t really tell a difference. She’s so closed away, despite everybody knowing who she is. Makes me kind of jealous.

Danny (2:25): Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen her actually interacting with people in school in 3 years. She just seems like a bad crowd, a bad influence. Why did you want to know about her Laura?

Laura reread the text thread maybe dozens of times. There was so much to process. Finally, she typed out a response.

Laura (2:29): I just wanted to get the hype. Thanks guys.

She was responded to with a chorus of ‘no problems’, all of which she ignored. First of all, Elle? Carmilla never mentioned having a girlfriend who tragically died. ‘I mean, I guess it was just a summary. No traumatic stuff yet.’ Laura thought. She silently agreed with herself to not bring up Elle, at all, no matter what, unless Carmilla did first. Second of all, Carmilla at a party? Laura would pay to see that.

Laura spent the afternoon thinking about her new acquaintance. Everything her friends had said about her all sounded negative. A bad influence? Maybe. Laura kept telling herself that Carmilla just had things to work through, she was a good person underneath that snarky, iron exterior. Her head became cloudy fast. She got up and walked around, eventually ending up staring at the wall of the staircase. It was covered in picture frames, ordered chronologically.

The first picture was from 1997. It was Laura’s parents right after their wedding. The second was from 2000. It was Laura’s dad, holding her, right after she was born. Laura stared for a while at a photo a few frames down. It was from 2003. It was her parents, holding her, a picture to commemorate her third birthday, the last one with her mom. She studied her mom. The scarf wrapped around her head, to hide the hair the chemo had stolen from her. The facial features that Laura so greatly mirrored. The way she looked so strong, and stable, even though she was two weeks away from taking her last breath. She looked at her dad. The way he looked so strong, but so broken. How tightly he held his wife, how deeply he had to search to find his smile.

Laura’s collar was stained with her tears as she moved down the line. The pictures becoming less frequent, and more different. As she stepped along the hallway, she finally found herself staring at nothing but pale drywall. Her vertical photo album tour had ended. Her sadness had not however, and she diverted upstairs.

Later on, Laura found herself curled up on her couch in a t-shirt and light sweatpants. Her legs were under a blanket, and she was clutching a pillow to her chest. Her eyes were glued to the TV, this must have been the third episode of House Hunters she’d watched.

Her face was red and streaky, her tears still occasionally falling. She was overwhelmed by the events of the day, the reminiscing of her parents.

There was a knock on the door. Laura quickly turned her head to the clock. 5:19. Fuck. That’s got to be Carmilla. The sound of a second knock brought her to the door, and after taking a deep breath, she narrowly opened it.

“Hey.” She said, looking her guest up and down.

“Damn, you really forgot about me that fast?” Carmilla said, gently pointing at Laura’s outfit.

“I’m sorry. It’s bit a rough day and I’m not feeling great and-“

“You’ve been crying.” Carmilla said quietly, examining Laura’s face.

“Yeah.” Laura replied. Carmilla nodded. “I don’t know if I’m up for going out right now.”

The dark haired girl nodded again. “What about staying in?”

Laura’s eyes grew wide, her stomach nearly knotting at the thought. “I mean...yeah. Some company would be nice.” She opened the door and motioned Carmilla into her house.

Carmilla walked into the house and, as she heard the door close behind her, almost immediately stopped.

“Wow.” She said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a house like this. And for only two people.”

“Eh. Barely. It’s basically one people at this point.” Laura said from behind her.

“One people?” Carmilla said, laughing at her grammatical mistake.

“You know what I meant.” Laura said, holding back a laugh. “Come on. Let me show you around.”

Laura spent the next ten minutes showing Carmilla the first floor of the house, and they eventually settled in the kitchen. Carmilla had just finished raiding Laura’s fridge when she heard a small sniffle from behind her. She turned around to see her small blonde counterpart sitting at the island, staring straight ahead, and beginning to cry again.

“I’m probably gonna regret this, but what’s wrong?” Carmilla said, placing her random assortment of items on the island and sitting down across from Laura.

“I’m just overwhelmed. Today was...long...and...you...and...my dad...and...” She trailed off.

“I’m gonna need a bit more to go on than that, creampuff.”

Laura crossed her arms and took a deep breath. “I’m in a whole new place that just happens to be one of the biggest high schools in the country. There’s so many people, it’s such a big building, I know I’ll get the hang of it eventually, but right now I just feel lost and alone. My dad hasn’t been home in so long, and when he is home, it’s not for very long, and earlier I was looking at all of the pictures on the wall and...I just miss him so much. This house is so big but so empty. I talk to the silence, the silence talks back. It’s rough.”

Carmilla nodded. “And me?”

“What about you?”

“Well you said ‘and you’ a minute ago. Am I already too much?” Carmilla chuckled.

“No no, it’s not that. It’s just...”

“It’s just what?”

“Some people told me some things about you...how you’re never around people and you’re never with anybody. But like, they don’t know you, so that didn’t matter to me.”

“So what’s the big deal with that then?”

“Well, I just don’t get why you’re never around anybody, but you just met me like...10 hours ago, and now you’re in my kitchen. So like, why me?”

Carmilla looked around nervously. Even she didn’t know the answer to that one. “I, uh, don’t really know. Honestly...this year is kind of my last chance before I’m gone. I wanted to make it worthwhile. Get to know somebody. Have at least a few good memories.”

“Last chance? Gone? What?” Laura was quickly getting overwhelmed again. “So what you’re telling me is that you’re just using me for a good time. Great. This is is great.” Laura stood up and started to walk away, running her hands through her hair as she did.

“Laura wait no that’s not what I meant!” Carmilla quickly ran around the island and grabbed Laura’s arm. “Please let me explain. It just came out wrong. We all know my future is in soccer. I’m going to be traveling all the time, I’m going to be playing for a pro club, and lord knows what country that will be in. Half the scouts that come to see me now are from Europe. So, it’s pretty much a guarantee that after high school I’ll be gone with the wind, off on my own deal. And it’s my senior year. And you’re right, I don’t hang around with people. I am...terrified, of getting to know people. Or them getting to know me. My whole life, especially the last two years. This is my last chance to make anything good of high school, to meet anyone good, to meet people that like me, that I like. And you were just this...perfect chance. You were new, you didn’t know me, you didn’t know anything about me. You were a clean slate. I don’t have a family. I want to have somebody that I can call my own.”

Laura hugged Carmilla, basically just pinning her arms to her body.

“Okay, okay...” Carmilla said, trying to free herself from the shorter woman’s grasp. As much as she enjoyed being close to Laura, the circumstance was definitely not the greatest. Slowly, Laura let go. Just as she did, her phone began to buzz on the counter.

“My dad!!! He’s facetiming me...Carmilla, you have to be quiet and hide. If he knows someone is here, he’d literally kill you. He carries bear spray.”

Carmilla grinned and walked into the other room. She quickly stumbled upon the photos on the wall. That’s where she would be spending her time for a little while. She heard Laura happily pick up in the other room.

“Hey dad!”

“Hi honey. How was your first day?”

“It was...good. Yeah. Good. Met some new people, my classes seem relatively easy...”

“Meet anyone...special?”

“I...no...dad. It’s the first day.”

“Let a man worry. I will personally interrogate anybody you end up with.”

“I’m well aware, dad.” Laura laughed.

“I mean, I guess you do know who you need. Do you remember what I told you after you first told me you were a lesbian?” Carmilla smirked at the revelation. She knew it. She could tell.

“‘Thank god you finally said it’.”

“No, after that.”

“To find a girl that deserves me. I will dad, I promise.”

“That’s good! That’s what I like to hear.” Sherman paused. “Look...I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you. Your mother would be so proud of you right now. Look at you...9 months away from graduating.”

“Yeah. I’m sure she would be...” Laura said, rather quietly.

“I should be home sometime next week. I don’t know exactly when-“

“Or if that’s even true...”

“Laura, honey, I know how hard it’s been that I just haven’t been around and that these trips keep getting extended, but I’m going to be home again, at some point.”

“At some point. Got it.”

“I’m still around Laura.”

Carmilla took note of the long silence.

“Have you eaten today Laura?”

“No. I was about to make some eggs.”

Carmilla began to study the pictures more than she was listening to Laura’s conversation. She took note of how much Laura looked like her mother, how her and her father were only similar if you looked really close. She took the most recent picture off of the wall, the examine it closer. Laura looked...different, in several ways, that Carmilla couldn’t put her finger on. The picture was dated July 14, 2017. Today was September 7, 2018...how much could have happened?

Carmilla put the photo back on the wall and turned back towards the kitchen, ready to keep listening.

She was met with silence. She walked into the kitchen, and saw Laura at the stove, looking as if new life had been injected into her.

“Want some eggs?”

* * *

Laura’s breath caught in her throat as the cold November wind attacked her face. She gasped. As the home score on the board went up by one, the note-taking of the Frenchman behind them became rapid. She felt Mel pull her into an excited hug, and she felt an equally excited scream instinctively leave her mouth.


	3. The Road Trip Before the Storm

Chapter 3: The Road Trip Before The Storm

Mel (8:06): GET YOUR KEYS BEEFCAKE

The text that started it all.

Kirsch (8:07): they win?

Mel (8:07): Yeah, Carmilla scored with only a few minutes left to seal the deal. The state championship is at 2 on Saturday. I figured if we left around 5 AM we’d get there on time.

Perry (8:08): I can’t believe we agreed to this.

Danny (8:09): Neither can I. I really didn’t think they were gonna make it to states this year.

Laura (8:09): Told ya!!! You just don’t like Carmilla LOL

Danny (8:10): I’m coming around. Slowly.

Kirsch (8:11): so 5 am saturday morning. bout a five, maybe six hour drive to pittsburgh, same time back after the same. ROAD TRIPPPPPP

LaF (8:12): Perry and I will supply snacks. Does your dad’s RV have a fridge?

Kirsch (8:12): and a freezer!

Danny (8:13): Tell me again why we’re going all the way to Pittsburgh

Mel (8:13): The state championship is played on the University of Pittsburgh field every year, you knew that when you agreed to this

Laura (8:14): And you get to spend the day with your boyfriend

Danny (8:14): The puppy is NOT my boyfriend.

Kirsch (8:15): :)

* * *

Laura woke up to the sound of her alarm at 4 am Saturday morning, ready and excited for the day ahead. She picked up her phone and saw four missed texts from Carmilla.

Carmilla (10:51): They started singing Miley Cyrus on the team bus, I don’t think I’m gonna make it

Carmilla (12:08): Entering Pittsburgh

Carmilla (12:49): Checked into hotel

Carmilla (12:50): Goodnight

Laura smiled.

Laura (4:03): Glad you made it safe. About to leave for Kirsch’s.

The last two months with Carmilla had been some of the best of her life. They had quickly become friends. Sure, they argued more than she’d like, but Carmilla was right: they needed family, and family is what they had become. They were opening up to each other more and more, slowly, but surely. There was no pushing, there was no shoving. There was only loving...most of the time, at least.

Initially, Laura’s other friends were weary of the soccer star. Danny, for unknown reasons, seemed intimidated by her, but was, in fact, coming around to her. Kirsch thought she was hot, and that was good enough for him. Perry was cautious at first, but she was cautious about everything in general. When she say that LaF and Carmilla got along just fine, she came around too. Mel, well she was a whole different story.

At the beginning of the year, Laura never saw this random girl from her Entrepreneurship and Journalism classes becoming one of her best friends. But she did, and her and Carmilla got along pretty well, and that mattered a lot to Laura. Mel and Laura had gone to all of Carmilla’s games together, and the road trip was Mel’s idea back when playoffs started. Mel understood their need for family, and she kind of needed it too.

Laura’s dad was home more often, only gone maybe once a month. She had found a sister in Mel, a best friend in Carmilla, and a group of friends that supported each other (albeit begrudgingly) through everything. The year was turning out to be a million times better than she ever expected. She assumed today’s trip would be a test of said group.

Laura took a short shower and placed her hair into a bun. She put on jeans and vans, and topped it off with a ‘Silas Lady Anglers Soccer’ t-shirt that she had stolen from Carmilla’s closet. The title of Lady Anglers was something the group discussed often. Carmilla once said that she was proud to be a Lady Angler, ‘in more ways than one’, winked, and spent two minutes laughing at her own joke.

Laura arrived at Kirsch’s house around 4:45. She was not the first one there. Danny had spent the night, and LaF and Perry had arrived early to load up the RV. Mel pulled in soon after Laura did, and together, they finished stocking the food and drink supply.

“Check your phone, beefcake, I sent you a playlist. 7 hours long. More than enough.” Mel said.

“I’m driving AND on Aux duty? I never thought you’d trust me so much.” Kirsch replied happily, as he finished putting everyone’s small bags into the RV.

“Everybody have their stuff? I packed extra chargers in case anybody forgot theirs. I also have Lysol wipes in case...you know...a mess is made.” Perry said, holding up her bag, which was much larger than the small ones everyone else had packed.

“Yeah yeah thanks mom. Alright everybody load up, it’s time for the tour!” Kirsch announced, holding open the door to the RV as everybody piled on.

The RV itself was surprisingly spacious and weirdly luxurious. Kirsch explained that once he started getting offers to play college football, his dad bought it, ready to travel around to watch his son play.

“So uh, this is the main living area.” He motioned to the area that everybody was standing in. Two couches sat across from each other. At the front of the room, but behind the driver’s area, a TV was bolted into a frame suspended an inch from the ceiling.

He walked into the kitchen area. “This is the kitchen.” Equipped with an oven, stove, fridge, the kitchen would prove to be more than sufficient. Kirsch pointed to a door in the narrow hallway between the kitchen and back room. “That’s the bathroom. Shower and everything. And that back room is the bedroom. There’s two sets of bunk beds in there in case anybody wants to take a nap. And both couches fold out into beds too. That’s it for the tour.”

Laura clapped, Kirsch bowed. He walked to the front of the RV and plopped down into the driver’s seat. He started it up, and began loading his path into the navigation system.

Upon finishing, he looked into the mirror and spoke to his precious cargo. “Well, we’re all set. We’re going to have to make one or two stops for gas, but we should be in Pittsburgh by 12, on the University campus by 12:45.”

Kirsch finished his preparation by connecting his phone and hitting shuffle on the playlist Mel had sent him. The first song: Rich Girl by Hall & Oates.

A small cheer came from the group as the RV began to move. They slowly settled into place. Danny and Laura had retreated to the small booth seat in the kitchen to work on an English essay due the next week. Perry, who had already finished said essay, claimed a bunk in the bedroom, in hopes of getting a little more sleep. LaF, who hadn’t even begun their essay, was busy on the couch, reading the chapters of a biography on Marie Curie. Mel was sprawled out on the opposite couch, quietly singing along to the song as she drifted into a nap.

Mel awoke a little over two hours later, midway through the second verse of QUEER by Brockhampton. The hustle and bustle had seemingly just begun. Perry was emerging from the bedroom, Laura and Danny were closing their folders, and LaF was closing their book for the final time, with a satisfying sigh.

“Why aren’t we moving?” Danny asking, standing up to stretch.

“Midmorning rush hour.” Kirsch replied, leaning back, hands no longer occupying the wheel. Danny looked out the window. Traffic as far as the eye could see. She looked at the clock. 7:28. Of course.

“So who wants breakfast?” Perry asked. “There’s eggs and bacon in the fridge. Anybody joining me?”

The group replied a hungry “yes” in unison.

“I’ll help.” Danny said, pulling out all the necessary pots, pans, and bowls.

Laura plopped down next to a now sitting Mel, as she watched Danny crack all 12 eggs and Perry begin to cook the bacon.

“Heard from Carmilla yet?” Mel asked.

“Haven’t even looked.” Laura excitedly pulled out her phone. She did, in fact, have a text from Carmilla.

Carmilla (7:02): Good morning. They woke us up early for ‘team breakfast’. Not feeling it.

Laura (7:30): Good morning!! Danny and Perry are making us breakfast now. How are you feeling?

Carmilla (7:31): For once, kind of nervous, but not a lot. This is my last high school game, I want to go out on top.

Laura (7:32): I’m sure you’ll do great. We’ll all be here to support you.

Laura and Carmilla carried on their conversation for another 10 minutes before Carmilla had to go.

Carmilla (7:43): Coach says it’s film time, so I’ve got to go. Enjoy your breakfast.

Just in time too. LaF was now handing out plates of scrambled eggs and bacon. Even Kirsch got to eat, as the interstate wasn’t moving any time soon.

About two hours and one gas fill later, the Modern Mystery Mobile had made it’s way into central Pennsylvania, aka Amish country, aka open roads. Breakfast had been cleaned up, a new energy had been found. LaF and Perry sat on the couch, smiling and laughing, watching as Mel, Laura, and Danny wildly danced around to Mr. Brightside by The Killers, featuring the scream singing stylings of one Wilson Kirsch.

Laura heard her phone go off on the counter, and dismissed herself to check the notification. She smiled.

Carmilla (10:07): I’m getting more and more nervous. Right after I said goodbye earlier I found out we’re playing Cochran Metro. That’s the same team we played and beat the last two years. My freshman year we played them too, but they won. So that’s four straight years of “Metro v Metro” as the billboard outside the field says. They know me. They know how I play. I don’t know how good I’ll be tonight

Laura frowned. Despite two months of experience, she was not used to seeing her best friend nervous. She typed a thought out response.

Laura (10:11): Remember that you know them too. You know how they defend you. You know them like they know you. You got this, Carm. I know you do. We all know.

Carmilla (10:12): Thanks, cupcake :)

Laura (10:13): Are you coming home with us later?

Carmilla (10:14): I have to go back on the team bus but once I’m back from that I’m coming over, I figure I should only be back maybe a half hour after you guys

Laura (10:15): Okay, can’t wait :)

By 11, the gang had all fallen asleep in various places, trying to have as much energy as possible for the game itself. Save for Kirsch, still in the driver’s seat, smiling to himself.

The horn honked four times. That was the wake up call. It was 12:52, and Kirsch had parked with a group of buses near the small soccer stadium. Slowly, the gang woke up, and Kirsch announced their arrival.

“Don’t bring your bags, they don’t allow those inside.” Kirsch said, opening the door and watching his friends file out.

He led them into the stadium, head held high. As they reached the seating area, he looked around and then pointed across the field. “Over there. That’s Coach Lamont. So that’s Silas’s sideline. You guys wanna sit right behind them?”

He didn’t get a verbal answer, he just got Laura walking past him in that direction. He happily shrugged and followed. There weren’t many people in the stadium yet, maybe a couple dozen. It appeared to mostly be stadium staff. However, the parking lot was starting to fill in as they entered the stadium, so it was good that they got in early.

1:48. They had sat down in the first row of the stands behind Silas’s bench, a steel pipe railing the only thing keeping them from the three foot drop to the field. Carmilla was right about the matchup being a big deal...that three foot gap from the field to the stands? Wrapped all the way around the field were LED signs, some covered in advertisements, but most reading “Metro v Metro: Round 4”.

Players from both teams were on the field warming up, both coaches with their heads in their playbooks. LaF tapped Laura on the shoulder. Laura turned to look at them, and they pointed to a spot on the field. “There’s your girl.”

There she was. Carmilla. Making a hard shot look easy. Teammate after teammate would miss, and there she was, knowing she’d make it before her foot even makes contact. On the field, her confidence was quiet. It was a change from reality, it was something Laura admired about her. Her humbleness was rare, but it existed, and to Laura, it was beautiful.

It wasn’t long before Coach Lamont had blown her whistle and her players came in from their warm-up. In a tight huddle, she screamed over the crowd noise of the now at-capacity stadium. The starters shed their practice jerseys, most took to the field. All but one. Their most important piece, the one that had completed their puzzle for the last four years, the one wearing that Silas jersey for the very last time. She walked away from the field, towards the stands, her eyes locked on the same girl they had been since she witnessed her arrival.

Carmilla reached up, Laura reached down, and they interlocked in as tight of a hug as possible.

Carmilla whispered into Laura’s ear. “Thank you for coming.”

Turning, she headed towards her waiting teammates. Smiling, fearing, Carmilla walked onto the field.


	4. The 83rd Minute

Chapter 4: The 83rd Minute

The 1st minute. Slow. The ball never leaves the middle, no possession is clear.

The 9th minute. Cochran gets a clear run at the net due to a defensive breakdown. Instead of taking the shot, the striker passes to her winger, who puts the ball in the net. The ref’s flag is up, the winger was offsides. No goal. Too close.

The 14th minute. Cochran gets too close again. Coach Lamont is pissed. She screams, but nobody seems to hear her.

The 18th minute. The stadium noise is too loud. Silas is closing in on net, but two defenders are closing in on Carmilla. She calls her winger’s name, but her winger doesn’t hear a thing. The ball flies past her and right onto the foot of Cochran’s leftback.

The 26th minute. Coach Lamont has had it. She makes 2 of her 3 substitutions, replacing two of her defenders.

The 31st minute. Silas’s winger took a shot that bounced off the goalie and behind the net. A corner kick was coming. Their best opportunity yet. They line up, in what cannot really be called a formation. The winger stares down the ball. She makes her short run up, she makes contact. She watches the cross sail towards the box, no target in mind, but one in sight. She watches as a jumping Carmilla uses her head to send the ball towards the net. It sails a centimeter past the outstretched hands of the goalie, and into the net. She hit the ground in a sprinting celebration. 1-0, Silas.

The 34th minute. The celebration didn’t last long. The defense relaxed on account of the lead. Cochran broke through, easily. The goalie never stood a chance. 1-1.

The 45th minute. It’s slow again. The ref holds up her sign, it has the number 2 on it. 2 extra minutes.

The 47th minute. The whistle blew. Finally. Half time. A break.

The 48th minute. After the 20 minute break, the 20 minutes of quiet crowd murmuring and loud lockerroom screaming, both teams returned to the field. Here we go. The last half.

The 63rd minute. Cochran gets close again, this time ringing the ball off the post. Luck was the only going for Silas.

The 65th minute. Coach Lamont makes her last substitution: a replacement for the left winger, a faster but less skilled sophomore. A chance at getting Carmilla to the net faster.

* * *

Laura’s hands were clasped together to the point that her knuckles had turned white. The game was excruciating. She found herself quiet more than she was cheering. She looked at the clock, hoping for mercy. The 81st minute.

Cochran’s goalie cleared the ball into the other half of the field. Unfortunately for her, it landed at the feet of Silas’s center midfielder, who quickly passed it off to the left midfielder. She spotted the left winger rushing forward, hoping to create a chance, and suddenly, the ball was at her feet. She made it well into Cochran’s side of the field when she saw the defense closing in her on her. Screaming, she threw up a prayer, blindly kicking the ball towards the middle of the field.

The ball couldn’t have been better placed. It came right in front of a sprinting Carmilla, who took into a box. That’s when it struck.

The defensive back, the same one had been guarding Carmilla for four years, made contact. Shoulder to shoulder, her elbow mashing into Carmilla’s ribs, their legs getting intertwined as they fall, a single scream, from the striker, emerged from the two. The now abandoned ball rolled silently to the goalie. The whistle of the charging ref was unmistakable.

Unscathed, the defender got up and set sail for the ref, trying to keep herself from punishment. She was met with a yellow card in her face, and the cheering of Silas fans as a penalty kick had been awarded. The cheering didn’t last long. Barely even a second.

Laura met Carmilla’s scream with her own. Mel’s arms wrapped around her as she watched her best friend struggle to stand up, desperate gripping at her torso.

Her teammates had surrounded her, and she met them with a breathless version of “I’m okay, I’m taking the shot”. Aware of her stubbornness, they didn’t argue. They helped her stand and stabilize, they helped her regain her breath. They helped her walk behind the penalty marker, the ball waiting the fly. The goalie was ready, the striker was not.

Carmilla stared at the ball for seemed like an eternity, she looked at her surroundings, she looked towards Laura, she looked towards the clock. The 83rd minute. She waited for the sound of the whistle to tell her it was time to shoot.

She held on to her torso as long as she could. She tried to take a deep breath, but it hurt too much, and she doubled over, her hands gripping her needs as she prayed for adrenaline to kick in. She heard the whistle and slowly stood up. She studied the goalie quickly, and suddenly charged towards the ball. She felt her foot make contact, she felt the sharp pain in her torso, she felt her teammates rushing her. Blind to her goal, deaf to the cheering, she felt the weight of the world sit solely on her shoulders.

* * *

Five extra minutes.

The 95th minute. The whistle. It’s over. They did it. 2-1, Silas wins.

* * *

“On the road again. ETA 10:15.” Kirsch said, finally pulling the RV back onto the highway. 

The ride was filled with different bursts of highs and lows. The immediate celebration of Silas’s victory, of a happy ending for Carmilla’s high school career. Danny spent much of the ride comforting Laura, who was distraught over Carmilla’s injury. Not to mention, she wasn’t answering her calls or texts. In all likelihood, her phone was dead, but Laura couldn’t shake the thought of something being seriously wrong.

Mel’s celebration wasn’t halted. Her girls won, she was damn proud of them. And somehow, someway, she knew Carmilla was okay. Of course, she couldn’t convince Laura of this, but Danny agreed to handle it.

LaF had been sitting on the couch, watching Mel dance around, when Perry sat down across from them. She was tired and had found a blanket tucked under the couch. It was wrapped around her shoulders, but it didn’t seem enough for her. She couldn’t seem to get comfortable. She made quiet, careful eye contact with LaF before standing up and maneuvering her way around Mel and sitting down next to them. She sat far away, but fell sideways in a deliberate, delicate motion that ended with her head resting gently on LaF’s lap. Normally, they wouldn’t be comfortable with such contact, but tonight, this was okay. Typically, with Perry, everything was okay.

* * *

The group ended up stopping for dinner, and didn’t make it back to Kirsch’s house until midnight. Danny woke up a sleeping Laura, who quietly grabbed her bag and walked to her car. As she buckled her seatbelt, she realized her dad must be freaking out. She pulled out her phone to text him, but he had already gotten to her.

Sherman (10:30): Are you guys close to being back yet?

Sherman (10:51): I hope you’re just stuck in traffic

Sherman (11:00): I hope you’ve eaten

Sherman (11:31): Carmilla is here. She told me about the game and what happened. She said her ribs are bruised but nothing’s broken. She seems kind of off but I’ll leave that to you to figure out

Laura (12:04): On my way home

Carmilla was at her house. Her dad was probably asleep now. Did they really take that long at dinner? The thought of keeping her waiting was killing her, so she sped home. As Laura pulled into her driveway, he comfort of seeing Carmilla’s motorcycle parked in front of her house confirmed that Carmilla was in fact okay, or at least okay enough to drive.

Taking a second to make sure the garage door had closed behind her, Laura grabbed her bag and quite literally ran into the house. The lights were off, the moonlight the only thing illuminating the floor. She went upstairs and stopped in the lounge overlooking the first floor. She looked at the bottoms of all the doors, looking for any sense of what room Carmilla would be in. Logic told her it would be in the first guest room, where she usually sleeps, but the light was off. The only light she could see was gently peaking out from her own bedroom door.

She rushed it.

Laura threw open the door, and her eyes met the exact target they were searching for. She absentmindedly closed the door behind her as she tossed her bag to the floor. Carmilla stood at the foot of her bed, in shorts and a loose t-shirt, a dramatic change from her usual all leather everything. Carmilla was okay. All Laura could do was stare.

She rushed it.

Laura charged Carmilla and pulled her into a tight hug, forgetting about the injury she had spent the night worrying about. Her reminder came in the form of Carmilla wincing and slightly falling against the bed post, it keeping her standing but unstable. She slowly slid herself into a sitting position on the bed as Laura backed up.

“You look hurt. I’m sorry I hugged you so hard that you’re hurt, it’s just that I was so worried about-“

Carmilla stood up, meeting Laura face to face.

“-whether or not you were okay-“

She got closer.

“-and you are-“

And closer.

“-and you’re here.”

And there was no more space. Carmilla gently grasped Laura’s face as she finally pressed her lips against those of her counterpart. She smiled as she felt Laura kiss her back. Slowly, she pulled away, keeping her hold on Laura.

“And I know that that was your last game-“

Carmilla kissed her again. Shorter, sweeter.

“-and your emotions are probably running high-“

Again.

“-but I’m so-“

“Shut up.” Carmilla pulled Laura in for another kiss, the most passionate so far. She held her there, happiness setting in for the first time in forever. She dropped her arm to Laura’s waist as she felt their bodies press together. The warmth she had been missing for so long, it was back, it was here, it was real, it was warmer than ever before. She felt Laura’s hand slip into her hair as their lips released. Laura nuzzled her head into Carmilla’s neck, using her hand to push Carmilla’s head down into hers, successfully putting them both into what felt like the single most important embrace of their lives.

Carmilla softly tapped Laura’s back. “Come on. Let’s lay down, we need sleep.”

Laura let go of Carmilla’s body but not her hand, as she pulled back the covers on her bed and laid down, and pulled Carmilla down next to her. She kissed her softly, slowly, one last time before laying down on her side of the bed. She felt Carmilla’s hand pull her back towards the middle.

Laura fell asleep that night with her back pressed against Carmilla’s chest, with Carmilla’s head nuzzled gently into her shoulder. Carmilla’s arm was wrapped around her stomach, seemingly holding on for dear life. They fit perfectly together. This was a surprise to nobody.


	5. The Marvelous Mr. Hollis

____Chapter 5: The Marvelous Mr. Hollis

Carmilla awoke in the darkness, the gentle rocking against her ribs bringing her to light. As she tried to fade back into unconsciousness, the rocking became more harsh, and she realized what was happening. She pulled Laura tighter and gently tapped her.

“Laura...Laura wake up. You’re fine.” The blonde get mumbled something she woke up. “It was just a dream.”

Laura rolled on to her back and she finally snapped into reality.

“What happened?” Carmilla asked, scooted closer, gently resting her hand on Laura’s stomach.

“Just...flashbacks to this...thing...from like...two years ago...”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Laura was almost surprised by the request. Carmilla was never really one for digging into the past, nor did she really enjoy talking about feelings.

“I’ve never told anyone before. Not even my dad.” Laura said.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. But you’re safe with me.” She felt Laura take a deep breath under her hand.

“Well...December of 2016, my dad was on one of his trips, and some kids down the street from our house back in North Philly were throwing a party. They weren’t Westbrook kids, so I didn’t know them, but one of my friends invited me. I hadn’t been to a party in forever, sooooo I went. My dad wasn’t home, he wasn’t going to know. I was having a good time, I was talking to this girl, and then all of the sudden this guy came up to me. He looked my age, maybe a year older? But he seemed nice at first, but then he started getting..handsy...and...just, close. I made it clear to him I wasn’t into him. I turned to leave and he grabbed me by the waist...basically carried me into the back yard...there were so many people but nobody stopped him. Back corner...against the fence...still handsy...still...groping me...I was strong but not enough to get him off of me. He got my shirt off...undid my belt, undid his...he tried...and then some guy’s arm was around his neck, and he yelled run...and I ran...and I got home and...I just didn’t leave. I stayed inside unless I had to go to school...I didn’t eat...I just shut off. I was terrified, of pretty much everything. This went on for like a year. My dad was never home long enough to notice something was wrong. There’s a picture, downstairs. It’s from my birthday last year, him and I together. I was a shell. I looked like a shell. I only got better at the beginning of 2018, when one of my Westbrook teachers noticed I was basically dying, and she...helped me get better.”

Carmilla used her hand to gently wipe Laura’s tears.

“I am so sorry...I am so, so sorry. You didn’t deserve that. Nobody does.”

“I know. But that’s in the past now. I just have bad dreams sometimes.”

“I’ll keep you safe.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I’m not going to let anything bad to you.”

Laura turned onto her side, facing Carmilla. She kissed her once, slowly, before laying her head down and falling asleep, held tight against her body.

* * *

Laura woke up well after the sun did, around 10 AM, Carmilla still softly snoring behind her. Carefully, she moved herself from the girl’s arms and got out of bed. She went through her drawers, pulling out a fresh set of clothes and heading for the bathroom attached to her room.

Laura took a long, warm shower. The events of the previous night kept replaying in her head. Carmilla kissed her. Carmilla actually kissed her.Laura had wanted a relationship with her best friend for weeks now, but she was so intimidated by her that she was fearful to so much as think about it in her presence. But Carmilla kissed HER. Carmilla started it, Carmilla wanted it too. Carmilla wanted her. Carmilla.

Laura found herself in jeans and a loose tank top, her hair brushed but not thoroughly. She walked back into her room a little over half an hour, to find the subject of her every thought missing from the bed. She walked out of the room and downstairs, heading straight for the kitchen. She found Carmilla sitting at the island, silently eating a bowl of cereal. Carmilla smiled at her, a few cornflakes falling out of her mouth in the process. Laura laughed at the sight.

“Good morning to you too, creampuff.” Carmilla said as Laura approached her and gently wrapped her arms around her from behind, careful not to touch her ribs.

Laura kissed her softly on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore. But grateful that we don’t have school tomorrow, with Veteran’s Day and all.”

"Did they tell you how long it’s gonna take for your ribs to heal?”

“The athletic trainer said anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. I tend to heal on the quicker side though, so hopefully it’ll fade fast. It’s definitely better now than it was last night.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re healing already.” Laura said, letting go and beginning to walk away. She felt Carmilla’s hand grab hers and pull her back, spinning her around and into a hug. Carmilla rested her head on Laura’s chest. Laura happily hugged the sitting woman’s body.

“Thank you for telling me all that stuff last night.” Carmilla said softly, looking up at Laura.

“You don’t have to thank me. I was going to tell you at some point, that just seemed like the right time. Remember when you told me about Elle a few weeks ago? You told me because you needed to talk about it, the same thing applies here.” Laura said, leaning down and kissing Carmilla softly.

“Is your dad home today?” Carmilla asked, her chin again resting on Laura’s chest.

“No. He’s at work. He’s supposed to be home earlier today thought but I don’t know when. He leaves for Seattle tonight, he’ll be gone for a week. Why? Any plans for today?”

“I mean...” Carmilla’s hands started to slowly roam Laura’s body. She smirked.

“Maybe...maybe later. Like I said, I don’t know when he’s coming home. But like I also said, he’ll be gone for a week. Any other plans?” It took the majority of Laura’s will power to stop Carmilla, but she knew what she was doing. Sherman could be home any minute, or he could be home in hours. She didn’t know, and she didn’t want to risk it.

The girls spent the majority of the day curled up on the couch, watching various reality TV shows. Around 3, they ordered Chinese, and by 4, they had finished eating.

Laura had just finished washing a plate in the sink when Carmilla snuck up behind her, spun her around and kissed her. Laura quietly laughed as she kissed her back, her body now pressed against the counter.

“Thank you for today.” Laura said quietly, earning a grin from Carmilla. “I needed it.” Carmilla kissed her again, passionately enough that neither of them heard the door from the garage to the kitchen open.

“Oh for the love of god...finally.”

Carmilla pushed herself away from Laura as she turned to face the suited man who had just entered the room.

“Dad...” Laura said, burying her face in her hands.

“Finally?” Carmilla said, cocking her head to the side, looking Sherman in the eye.

“Sit down.” He said, pointing to the island. Cautiously, she obliged. Sherman walked up to the opposite side of the island, mere feet away from her, and put his hands down on the cold marble. Laura felt like a fly on the wall.

“I’ve been waiting for this day. I know my daughter. I know her very well, because she is my daughter. In her 18 years of life, in my 18 years of raising her, I have never seen her so...happy and...together, as she has the last few months. I’ll admit, I didn’t like you at first. I didn’t like the look of you. You looked like somebody my company would put on a watch list. You looked like the reason I keep bear spray hidden in every room. The first time I saw you here I thought we were being robbed. But the way my little girl talked about you...I had to like you. She was so proud of what you were doing. Every game of yours she went to, she talked about how good you were. She was so proud to have you as a friend. I was just waiting for the day you weren’t just friends any more, so we could finally have this talk. I planned this conversation for so long.” Sherman looked Carmilla in the eyes. She dropped her head. It took a lot for her to be intimidated, but he was doing it perfectly. This was his job after all.

“My daughter has been through a lot. She deserves good things. She deserves good people. But those people have to deserve her too.”

“‘Find a girl who deserves you’.” Carmilla quoted him, still staring down at the island counter. “That’s what you told her.”

“And? Do you? Do you think you deserve my daughter? Do you think you’re enough for her?”

“Dad pl-“

“Stay out of it, Laura. Answer me, Carmilla.”

Sherman had struck on every one of Carmilla’s major insecurities: the concept of being enough, the concept of what she does and does not deserve. Laura knew this. Sherman knew it too, that’s why he asked.

“Yes.” Carmilla said quietly.

“What?” Sherman asked.

Carmilla picked her head up, and through her own teary eyes, stared right into his.

“Yes. I deserve her. I’m enough for her. I needed to find a girl who deserved me too, who was enough for me too. And she is. She is so much more than just ‘enough’ for me. She deserves me, I deserve her, we deserve each other. The both of us deserve everything good you want for her. And we’re going to get it. Together. And I’m sorry if you don’t like that. I’m sorry if you don’t like me. But she does. Your daughter does, my...girlfriend does, Laura does. And that’s what matters here. You said it yourself. She’s happy. That’s what you want right? And you want somebody who can keep her as safe as you have the last 18 years? That’s me. Here I am. She’s safe with me, she’s happy with me, she’s enough for me. I deserve her in EVERY sense of the term.” Carmilla was crying now. So was Laura.

Fuck, so was Sherman.

But he smiled.

“Good.” He said.

“What?”

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. You’re right. You do deserve her, and she deserves you too. She’s happy, you...appear to be happy. That’s all I wanted from this. And I know she’s safe with you. You may not carry bear spray, but...you know how to kick. And that’s good enough for me.” Sherman happily slapped the counter and dried his tears before turning to his daughter. He picked up her face and kissed her forehead.

“I have to go pack a bag and then I’m on my way. I only stopped in to say goodbye before I went to the airport. I’ll be back on Friday. I love you.”

“I love you too, dad.” Laura replied, hugging him and wiping her tears on his suit jacket.

He let go and walked over to Carmilla. “Thanksgiving is next Thursday. I expect you here for it.”

Carmilla laughed. “I’ll be here.” She was surprised to see that he was holding out his arms. He wanted a hug. Slowly, she gave in and hugged and the man. He then happily strolled upstairs to pack a suitcase.

Carmilla stood up and walked over to Laura, and quickly pulled her tight against her body.

“Soooo...girlfriends?” Laura asked, grinning against Carmilla’s chest.

“I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to sound, y’know, possessive.”

“I would never mind.” Laura replied, looking at up at Carmilla. “Look, I’m so sorry about that. If I had known he was going to do that I would have stopped him and-“

“Hey. It was worth it. And besides, he was just looking out for you. Having his approval feels weirdly satisfying. And I liked hearing him say that you talked about me and that I made you happy and that you were proud of me.” Carmilla smiled.

“Well, I am. My girlfriend is a state champion soccer player, soon to be a pro, the best in the business. She’s hot too.” Laura chuckled.

“I’m not going to disagree.” Carmilla laughed back.

Laura heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Here he comes.” She said, quietly.

Carmilla quickly walked away and leaned against the island, right as Sherman walked into the room, his suitcase rolling behind him. He walked straight to Laura to give her one last hug.

“There he is, the Marvelous Mr. Hollis. Have a safe trip.” Carmilla said. He smiled and hugged her too, before Laura walked him to the door and opened it. He walked through and into the garage. She watched him get into his BMW and hit the button to open the door behind him. The car hummed to life, and she waved as he backed out, the garage door closing as he left.

An arm came from behind Laura and shut the door, and another arm slinked around her waist and spun her around, pinning her against the the door in one fluid motion. She opened her eyes, and there was Carmilla.


	6. The Virgin Sacrifice

Chapter 6: The Virgin Sacrifice

“Hey.” Laura said quietly, her back pressed firmly against the door. Carmilla smirked at her and leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Laura reached up to lace her fingers through Carmilla’s hair, but her hands were grabbed and pinned to the door above her. Laura gasped at the movement.

“Don’t move.” Carmilla said in a low voice, sending a shutter through Laura’s body. She removed her hands from Laura’s, trusting her to follow directions. She slowly slid her hands down the shorter girl’s body. As she began to slowly kiss Laura’s neck, she slipped her hand underneath her shirt, softly dragging her nails up the girl’s side.

“I...I’ve never...” Laura said, quietly.

“It’s okay. I’ll take good care of you. If you want me to stop, just say so.” Carmilla whispered into her ear, her hands still roaming. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” Laura said quickly.

“What do you want?” Carmilla smirked, kissing Laura’s neck once before lifting her head to look her in the eye.

“You. It’s always been you.” Laura whispered. Carmilla grinned and grabbed one of her hands. She turned and ran, bringing them both upstairs and into Laura’s room.

Carmilla sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Laura down on top of her to straddle her.

“What about your ribs?” Laura said, cocking her head to the side as Carmilla began to kiss her neck.

Carmilla picked up her head and looked deeply into Laura’s eye. She dropped her voice low. “Pain turns to pleasure when you’re in the right mood.”

Laura dropped her head and kissed Carmilla passionately, draping her arms over her shoulders and pulling her close. Carmilla smirked as she rubs her hands up and down Laura’s back, eventually settling on hand on Laura’s ass as the other moved under the front of her shirt. Laura slid her tongue across Carmilla’s bottom lip. Carmilla happily allowed her access, and smirked when she felt Laura beginning to grind into her.

As their kiss became more intense, Carmilla took off Laura’s shirt. Her hands roamed free now, and they ended up on the back of Laura’s bra.

“May I?” She asked, softly. Laura nodded, and Carmilla removed it. She gawked at Laura’s now bare torso. “You’re beautiful.” She said, smiling. She placed a gentle kiss on the center of Laura’s chest. She leaned up and kissed her lips once before lowering her head again and taking one of Laura’s nipples into her mouth. She licked and sucked softly, earning a quiet sound from the back of Laura’s throat. She used her other hand to massage her other breast. She hovered there for awhile, before switching her movements to the other nipple, being careful to spend an even amount of time on each.

Laura ran her fingers through Carmilla’s hair. Her grinding slowed as she moved to take off Carmilla’s shirt. Carmilla didn’t have a bra on, has it would have been too painful to wear one today. Laura stared.

“What?”

“I...” Laura couldn’t get the words out. She pulled Carmilla close and kissed her hard before pulling away as fast. Carmilla grabbed Laura’s sides and flipped her down onto the bed, sending them both into a fit of laughter. Carmilla sat up and quickly removed her pants, accidentally taking her underwear off too. She was fully naked in front of Laura for the first time, and Laura was loving it. Still laying down, Laura tried to catch up, but got kind of stuck, earning a chuckle from Carmilla.

“Don’t just laugh, help me!” Laura said, laughing as Carmilla finally helped her strip down. They stared at each for a second. “You’re hot.” Laura said, staring.

Carmilla was up on her knees, staring down at Laura. Laura sat up, her face now directly in line with Carmilla’s torso. She gently kissed the large, dark bruise covering most of Carmilla’s left abdomen. Carmilla placed her hands on the sides of Laura’s head, guiding her to one of her nipples. Laura happily obliged, taking one into her mouth and trying to replicate everything Carmilla did before. Carmilla leaned down and kissed the top of Laura’s head before placing her hands on her shoulders and pushing her down on to the bed and plopping down next to her.

She slid her arm underneath Laura and draped her shoulder forward, placing her breast back in Laura’s mouth as her own hand found one of Laura’s.

“If I get too rough, go too fast...anything...just tell me to stop and I will.” Carmilla said, letting go of Laura’s breast and slowly moving in further down her body.

Laura nodded in response. Carmilla removed her arm from under Laura, causing Laura to fall back to the mattress. Carmilla leaned down and licked the length of her collarbone, causing Laura to shiver. She began to suck on a pulse point on Laura’s neck, gaining a very quiet moan in response.

“And one more thing.” Carmilla said, before leaning in to whisper. Her hand was reaching a dangerously low spot on Laura’s body. “You’re mine. I’m going to leave marks on you that nobody else can see. Only I can see you like this.” Carmilla used her hand to spread Laura’s leg’s apart. “Only I can touch you like this.”

Carmilla dragged a single finger slowly through Laura’s slick folds. Laura’s breath hitched as Carmilla removed her hand and brought it to Laura’s face, placing her finger in Laura’s mouth for her to suck on.

“Only I can make you this wet.” Carmilla finished her little speech and marveled at the girl in front of her, watching her taste herself on her finger. She drew her finger back and moved her hand back down Laura’s toned abdomen.

“Understood?”

Laura nodded. She reached up and pulled Carmilla down to her. “I love this new side of you.” She shivered as Carmilla kissed her neck again. “The way you talk to me...I’m all yours. Do what you want with me. I know I’m safe with you.”

Carmilla smirked, half out of gratefulness, half out of new found freedom.

“What do you want, right now?” Carmilla asked, stroking her hand slowly up and down Laura’s inner thigh.

“You...” She said quietly, desperately wanting to be touched.

“What do you want me to do?” Carmilla asked again, sitting up and smirking, her hand etching ever closer to the one place Laura wanted it.

Laura gulped.

“I asked you a question.” Carmilla said, slowly pulling her hand away, knowing she could get an answer out of Laura.

Laura mumbled something.

“What was that?”

“I want you to fuck me.”

Carmilla’s jaw almost dropped. “I could get used to you cursing like that.” Carmilla said as she dropped her body, beginning to kiss down Laura’s. When she finally found herself laying between Laura’s legs, she looked up and made eye contact with her soon-to-be-lover. She barely recognized her eyes, they were so filled with lust, so...dark. She liked it.

Carmilla maintained eye contact as she finally pressed her tongue against the one spot Laura had wanted it. She licked softly, slowly, driving the blonde absolute wild. She reached up with one of her hands and played with one of Laura’s nipples, and with the other hand she teased Laura’s entrance.

“P-please...” Laura whimpered.

Carmilla obliged and slowly slid her finger in. She pumped her hand slowly, not wanting to hurt her.

“Faster, Carm...harder.” Laura moaned out. Carmilla increased her pace and picked her head up.

“Say my name again.” She said, then returned to sucking on Laura’s clit.

“Carm, fuck.” Carmilla moaned back at her, the taste of Laura quickly becoming her new favorite anything. She pulled her finger out and Laura whimpered in response, by loudly moaned soon after when Carmilla pushed two fingers inside of her instead of two. Carmilla’s other hand was still working her other nipple, and Laura quickly became sexually overwhelmed as she started to get that feeling in her abdomen.

“Carm, I’m so close, fuck.” She moaned out, basically gasping for air.

“Cum for me, baby.” Carmilla said, taking a deep breath before diving back to finish off Laura. Laura nearly screamed at she came undone around Carmilla’s fingers, grinding against her face. Carmilla helped Laura ride out her orgasm before pulling out her fingers and licking her pussy dry. She moved back up Laura’s body, kissing her sloppily and letting her taste herself.

“Can I...” Laura said, pulling at Carmilla’s hips.

Carmilla smirked. “Let me ride your face.” She said in a low voice.

“Please.” Laura nodded happily as her girlfriend climbed up her body, settling with her knees on either side of Laura’s head, lowering herself down. The feeling of Laura’s tongue making contact made her shiver, and she began to grind. Laura rocked her head to match Carmilla’s pace, and swirled her tongue around her clit in the process. Carmilla put her hands to work again. She reached one down, entangling it in Laura’s hair and holding her head in place. With the other, she reached back and started aggressively rubbing Laura’s clit.

Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, Carmilla felt Laura move down a little bit and suddenly felt Laura’s tongue thrusting in and out of her entrance. She felt herself coming close, and wanted Laura right there with her. She reached further down and plunged two fingers deep into her girlfriend, earning a loud moan from the girl beneath her.

“That’s it Laura, fuck me...cum with me, baby...” Carmilla said, pumping her fingers and grinding on Laura’s face at the same pace. She felt herself on the edge, and finally let go when she felt Laura doing the same. They came, screaming each other’s names. Carmilla collapsed onto the bed next to Laura, smiling.

“Don’t you look like a mess. While I heavily enjoy the sight of my cum all over your face, we should probably clean that up...shower with me?” Carmilla asked, smirking. She stood up and held out her hand to Laura, who happily took it. They staggered to the bathroom together.

This was going to be fun.


	7. Bikini Frogs & Betting Pools

Chapter 7: Bikini Frogs & Betting Pools

“Soooo what are our plans for today?” Carmilla asked, wrapping her arms around Laura.

“Well considering we didn’t get out of bed until 2 PM, probably not what you want those plans to be. I was thinking maybe we invite a few people over, celebrate your victory, have a dinner party maybe.”

Carmilla shot a concerned glance down at her girlfriend before shrugging. “If that’s what you want, cupcake. Who are we inviting?”

“I was thinking just Mel and LaF and Perry.”

“No Xena? No puppy?”

“Kirsch mentioned the other day that him and his family go down to DC for Veterans Day. And Danny...just...no.” Laura laughed nervously and leaned up to kiss her girlfriend.

“Tell you what. You call the three of them and get them over here, I’ll cook.”

“But you’re-“

“No buts. I’m cooking.” Carmilla laughed before backing away from Laura. Laura smiled as she pulled out her phone to call her friends.

* * *

“And then there were frogs. Everywhere. Remember Betty Spielsdorf? She found two in her bikini. One in the top, one in the bottom. And THAT is why she transferred.” LaF managed out before hysterically laughing along with their friends.

Carmilla choked on a mouthful of mashed potatoes, gleefully recalling the incident.

“That’s not even close to the funniest thing the Alchemy club did. Remember our freshman year? The ‘X Unlimited’ mess?” Mel said.

Laura, still reeling from the frog story, looked at her confused. “Elaborate.” She said.

“Well, our freshman year some of the Alchemy Club’s members were graduating, and as a senior prank, they told people they had invented a new party drug. They said it was non-addictive and had three times the potency of ecstasy. They called the pills ‘X Unlimited’. And with all the post-prom parties coming up, they sold them in small bags of two for $10 a bag with the promise of an amazingly unforgettable night. Take them an hour before prom, they said. HUNDREDS of kids took them. You know what the pills were? Tylenol PM.”

Laura fell back again in laughter, Carmilla choking again.

“Oh my gosh, I forgot about that one!” Perry laughed out.

The night was full of laughter and tales of the Alchemy Club’s pranks and compliments on Carmilla’s surprisingly impressive cooking ability.

“And God knows how they even-“ Carmilla was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. “Who the hell is calling me? It’s like 8.” She said, as she stood up and walked away from the table.

“Hello?” She answered, cautiously. “Yeah, that’s me. Who are you?” Her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” She covered her mouth, staring off into space, and then back at her friends. There was a long pause on her end as she listened to the speaker on the other. “Yes, yeah, I would love that. I’m honored. Thank you.” She looked as if she was trying not to cry. “Uh...yeah, I do. I can send you their contact info.” She was staring off into space again. “Saturday, 6PM? Yeah...that works...we’ll be there. It was nice talking to you, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Carmilla slowly put her phone down on the counter.

“So...what team?” LaF asked, putting their fork down. Everyone turned to look at them. “Oh come on it’s obvious. She was going to start getting offers at some point.”

The group turned back to Carmilla. “They’re right.”

“Who was it?” Perry asked, enthusiastically.

“Uh...Paris...Paris Saint-Germain. They’re like-“

“The second biggest club in France!” Mel interrupted, excitedly.

“France?” Laura asked, concerned.

Carmilla nodded. “Their representatives want to meet with me in the city on Saturday. But I don’t have an agent so-“

Mel interrupted her again. “Let me do it! I can do it! My dad owns a car dealership so negotiation is in my blood, and...and my mom, she’s a financial manager, so like, numbers, and contracts...and I’m taking entrepreneurship right now so I mean I understand...and I have family in Paris so we can stay there until you find an apartment, and I can just stay with them after that...and I’ll only ask for like a 3% commission, that’s pretty low...” Mel rambled on and on, never seeming to see the smile grow on Carmilla’s face.

“I don’t really have any other choice, do I?”

“Is that a yes.”

Carmilla nodded, slowly. Mel sprang up, cheering. “When I go home tonight I’ll do some research on French women’s soccer, I’ll be more ready for this meeting than they are.”

Laura stood up and turned around, slowly walking up to Carmilla. She wrapped her arms around the taller girl lightly. The look on Carmilla’s face grew more and more concerned and confused. She tried to hug Laura back, but the girl pulled away before Carmilla could even lift her arms.

Laura leaned up and kissed her on the cheek, even lighter. “Congratulations.” She nearly whispered, the loudest her voice could go without breaking. She turned to face her friends again. “I have to go, um...yeah.” She turned again and left the room. Carmilla turned to follow.

“Don’t.” LaF said, standing up. “She needs space.”

“How the hell would you know?” Carmilla asked, angrily.

“Sit down. I think I have something that can help you.”

“Su...LaFontaine, don’t.” Perry said. Cautiously, Carmilla came and sat down.

“What is it?”

Perry and Carmilla both glared at LaF. Mel just sat there silently.

“Well, about two years ago...Perry was in your place. Set to leave for France. Her uncle owns a hotel chain, the largest one in the country, and her parents wanted her to move to Paris to learn management. I mean, she was set, she would have full ownership of one of the suites, she had a career in front of her. And she didn’t go, because I didn’t...I couldn’t come with her. She didn’t want to leave me. I didn’t want to leave her either. She gave all that up...for me. Like I said, I didn’t want her to leave, but I wanted the best for her. I didn’t try to stop her, she stopped herself. I want you to put yourself in my spot, in Perry’s spot, and think about how Laura feels. She doesn’t want to lose her best friend, but she wants you to be the best in the world. She’s going to tell you to go. I’m guessing right now she’s just figuring out how to tell you.”

Carmilla looked at both LaF and Perry, shocked. “I...I doubt that’s what she’s doing right now. She’s been through so much loss, and now she thinks I’m leaving too...I don’t want to leave her. We just started...it can’t end already.”

“Just started what?” Mel asked.

“She’s my girlfriend now.” Carmilla said quietly. “I’m sorry I have to go see her.” Carmilla got up and ran out of the room before Perry could pull her back.

“You heard her.” LaF said, after a long silence. “They’re dating now. I won the betting pool. Danny owes me $50. I’m rich.” LaF chuckled nervously.

* * *

Carmilla ran up the stairs as fast as she could, but slowed her pace when she got to Laura’s bedroom door. She opened it and walked inside slowly, closing the door softly behind her. Laura sat on the foot of her bed, head in her hands.

“I’m going to say no.” Carmilla said, walking further into the room.

“You can’t do that. You have to go.” Laura said, sniffling and standing up.

“Bu-“

“How do you think I feel, Carm? If it weren’t for me you wouldn’t have to choose between your girlfriend and your career. You have to go to France. Your dream is to play at that level, and you always talk about wanting to live in Paris. This is the perfect opportunity. When they offer you that contract, you have to sign. You’d have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“No I wouldn’t.”

“Carm, please. I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to leave me. But I want you to be happy. And your happiness is more important.” Laura dropped her head. “I don’t want you to leave me.” She was breaking. “I don’t want them to take you from me.” And breaking.

Carmilla rushed forward and pulled Laura’s collapsing body into a tight hug. “Hey, hey, Laura, I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You have to go, Carm. You deserve this.”

Carmilla took a deep breath. “Fine.” She grabbed Laura by both sides of her head, forcing her to look at her. “I’ll go. But only if you come with me.”

“W-what?” Laura said, eyes wide.

“I’ll go to France if you come with me. On Saturday, IF Mel negotiates a contract, I’ll sign it. But only if you come with me.”

“But-“

“We can talk to your dad. He’s big on what people deserve, right? We deserve to be together, I deserve this opportunity, so by transit, you deserve it too, right? I’m not leaving you, Laura. It’s not happening.”

“I...I want to. But if he says no-“

“You’re 18, Laura. You’re an adult.” Laura closed her eyes, her head still in Carmilla’s hands.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to lose everybody yet.” Laura said quietly.

“Your dad would probably come visit once a week whether we wanted him to or not.”

“But everybody else-“

“Hold on. Come with me.” Carmilla held Laura’s hand and led her downstairs and back into the kitchen, where LaF, Perry, and Mel were having a quiet conversation. Carmilla took Laura to the table and they sat down, a silence falling over the room.

“If I sign...to play in Paris...how would you guys feel about coming along?”

“Car-“ Laura attempted.

“Laura.” Carmilla shot back, and Laura looked down.

“IF they offered me a contract, it would probably be immediate...which means dropping out...and I know you’re all not big on that...BUT...college is cheap and public. Mel, you said it yourself, you have family to stay with, and as my agent, you’d have a job right there. Perry...I’m sure your family would still love to have you join the business in Paris, and I know you don’t want to leave LaFontaine but...they could come with you, they could stay with you. Suites out there are pretty big, right? And LaFontaine...I know you have a thing for Marie Curie, and she’s French, and you’re like a genius, and it probably wouldn’t be hard to get an internship to do...science...stuff...”

There was silence.

“My family bugs me about the hotel business once a week. They’d be fine with me going. But only if everybody else is.” Perry said quietly. “Especially you.” She said, reaching across the table and taking LaF’s hand.

“LaF...would your family-“

“Care? No.” They replied. “I...Paris IS kind of a scientific hub...”

Perry smiled.

“Mel?” Carmilla asked.

“As your agent...I consider myself legally obligated to go. And I’d be happy to.”

Carmilla turned to Laura, taking both of her hands. “Please. You aren’t going to lose anybody if this happens.”

Laura stood up and immediately lunged onto Carmilla, wrapping her into a bear hug. “When-“

“IF.” Carmilla reminded.

“IF you sign, I’ll go. I’ll go.” Laura cried into Carmilla’s neck. Mel happily got up and wrapped her arms around the two, motioning for Perry and LaF to join them. Grinning at each other, they did.

Laura, wrapped up by the four people she had come to love the most, smiled.


End file.
